Steering control means and grab bar combination

ABSTRACT

A steering handle attached to a steering shaft is utilized both as a control means to steer the vehicle and as a grab bar with which the operator can brace himself when the vehicle is negotiating rough terrain. The steering handle is shaped and placed so as to provide several convenient and comfortable grasping areas for the operator&#39;&#39;s hands.

United States Patent 1191 Day 1 1 Jan. 2, 1973 s41 STEERING CONTROLMEANS AND 2,133,010 10/1938 Barry ..74/ss1.1 GRAB BAR COMBINATION2,491,609 12 1949 George ..74 552 Inventor: Ralph R. y Aurora 1.T875,0l9 6/1970 Haddad et al. ..74/552 [73] Assignee: CaterpillarTractor Co., Peoria, 111. Primary Examiner-Milton Kaufman AssistantExaminer-F. D. Shoemaker 22 l 1 Fl ed June 1971 Attorney-Charles M.Fryer et al. [21] Appl. No.: 152,514

[57] ABSTRACT U.S. A steering handle attached to a Steering haft isuti]- [51] III". Ci. ..B62d 1/04 i' d b th s a control means to teer thevehicle and Fleld 0f Search 551.6, l .l a a grab ba the operator canbrace 6 0 self when the vehicle is negotiating rough terrain. The [5 1References C'ted steering handle is shaped and placed so as to provideUNITED STATES PATENTS several convenient and comfortable grasping areasfor the operators hands. 1,738,855 12/1929 Thompson ..74/55l.1 X2,059,669 11/1936 Skoog ..74/551.1 8 Claims, 5 Drawing FiguresPATENTEDJAN 2 191a SHEET 1 OF 2 Fig.1.

INVENTOR RALPH R. DAY

PATENTEU 3.707887 SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTOR RAL PH R DAY f r7 9 I IATZZDRNEYS STEERING CONTROL MEANS AND GRAB BAR COMBINATION BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION This invention relates to a steering control means forsteering automotive vehicles. More particularly, it concerns a new andimproved steering handle for use both to steer the vehicle and as a grabbar with which the operator can brace himself when negotiating roughterram.

Although a tiller bar was utilized in a few of the very first automotivevehicles, almost all vehicles down to the present are steered by aconventionally-shaped steering wheel which is operatively connected tothe steerable front wheels of the vehicle by means of a steering shaft,suitable reduction gearing, and steering linkage. With the introductionof larger vehicles in recent years, particularly in the earthmoving andforestry industries, many types of power steering have been developedwhereby steering is done hydraulically or at least with hydraulicassistance. Even though the power steering reduces the manual steeringeffort and in some cases also requires less steering movement of thesteering wheel, the conventionally shaped, circular steering wheel stillprevails as the conventional steering control means. One of thedisadvantages associated with the use of the conventionally shapedsteering wheel on the earthmoving and forestry, i.e., logging, vehiclesis that of vehicle control when the vehicle is negotiating rough, uneventerrain. Under these conditions, the operator has a tendency to bracehimself by firmly gripping the steering wheel and the bouncing andjostling of the operator frequently causes the operator to inadvertentlyinduce rotational movement of the steering wheel which thereby causesunwanted steering of the vehicle.

Another disadvantage sometimes associated with a conventional steeringwheel and a tiller bar for that matter is that they are mounted on thecenter post or steering shaft with a nut which, in some cases, projectsabove the rim of the steering wheel. If the operator is thrown forwardas is conventional in the event of a front end accident, the projectingnut is liable to cause serious injury to vital organs in the chestcavity such as the heart.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of thisinvention to overcome the above-described problem by providing asteering control means including a steering handle for steering thevehicle which can also be used as a grab bar without causing unwantedsteering movement of the vehicle.

Another object of this invention is to provide a steering control meansthat presents a relatively long continuous smooth length to the operatorand provides some energy absorption capabilities in the event theoperator is accidentally thrown against such steering control means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of avehicle embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, side elevational view, partially cut away, of thesteering control means;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the steering control means taken in thedirection Ill-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, partially cut away, of an alternateembodiment of the steering control means; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the steering control means taken in thedirection VV of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows generally at 10 avehicle in the form of a log skidder which includes a front frame 11 anda rear frame 12 connected together by pivot 13 for pivotal movementabout a substantially vertical axis to provide for steering of thevehicle. Pivotal movement of the frames is provided in aconventional'manner by a pair of hydraulic jacks, one of which is shownat 14. An operators station 16 carried on front frame 11 includes asteering control means 17.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the steering control means shown generallyat 17 is suitably connected to a conventional steering shaft 18, whichshaft is journaled in a steering column 19 by means of bearings, one ofwhich is shown at 20, and operatively connected to conventional controlvalve (not shown) for actuation of the hydraulic jacks. The steeringcontrol means 17 comprises a manually operable steering handle means 21fixedly attached to a steering crank arm 22 for causing rotation of thesteering shaft 18 upon movement of the steering handle means 21.

The steering handle means 21 includes a lower horizontal crossbar 23, anupper crossbar 24 and a pair of upright members 25 having upper andlower ends secured to the outer ends of the lower and upper crossbars 23and 24. One end of the steering crank arm 22 is connected to thesteering shaft 18 whereas the other end is connected to the lowercrossbar 23. Both connections are made by use of conventional fasteningmeans such as welding. The steering crank arm 22 is connected to themidpoint of the crossbar 23 dividing it into two hand gripping sections26, one being located on each side of the arm 22. The upper crossbar 24has a horizontal central section 27 and an angled section 28 on eachside'thereof. The central section 27 of crossbar 24 has a midpoint whichis substantially in alignment with the center line of the steering shaft18 and spaced from the uppermost end of said shaft. That is to say,central section 27 is bisected by the longitudinal axis defined by shaft18.

The shape and disposition of the steering handle means 21 provide handgripping sections or areas in the form of upright members 25 whichenable the operator to grasp the steering handle means with a glovedhand while at the same time maintaining his wrist at a natural andcomfortable angle. For this purpose, the tops ofthe upright members 25are tilted forwardly with the optimum angle alpha, with respect to thevertical of the member being approximately 10 although an angle selectedfrom a range of from 0 to 25 is acceptable. Since it is common practicefor operators to wear gloves while operating forestry and earthmovingvehicles, the length of hand gripping sections and upright members 25 isso dimensioned as to accommodate a gloved hand. For example, the lengthof section 26 between the crank arm 22 and the upright member 26 is notless than approximately 4% inches. Similarly, the

length of upright members 25 between the crossbar 23 and sections 28 isalso not less than approximately 4% inches. In a similar manner, theeffective grasping length of each of sections 27 and 28 is not less thanapproximately 4% inches.

The shape of the steering handle means 21 enables the operator to graspand rotate it in several conventional ways. For example, by grasping thesections 26 of crossbar 23, the steering handle means is rotated in amanner similar to a tiller bar. By grasping the upright members 25, thesteering handle means is rotated similar to grasping the rim of aconventional steering wheel. Grasping the sections 28 is similar tograsping the spokes of a steering wheel.

When the vehicle is negotiating rough terrain, the operator can bracehimself by grasping central section 27 of the crossbar 24. Since thesection 27 is in alignment with the steering shaft 18, neither a forwardor sideways force imparted by the operator will cause the steeringhandle means to rotate and thus throw the vehicle off course.

Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a second embodiment of thisinvention wherein primes are used to denote structure having itsanalogous numerical counterpart in the first embodiment. With thisembodiment, a more or less rectangular steering handle means 21 isproduced. The various members 25, 26', 27 and 28' define a planarsurface. As with the primary embodiment, central section 27 is inalignment with central shaft 18', as best seen in FIG. 5. With bothembodiments, the steering handle means may be conveniently made ofunitary, one-piece construction by appropriately bending a length ofcylindrical, metal bar stock such that its ends at 29 or 29' are inadjacent relationship within a curved end 30 or 30' of crank arm 22 Itis to be understood that the foregoing description is merelyillustrative of preferred embodiments of the invention and that thescope of the invention is not to be limited thereto but is to bedetermined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle having a rotatable steering shaft defining an upper endwhich is operatively connected to a steering control means which effectssteering of the vehicle, said steering control means comprising;

a steering handle means including an upper crossbar,

a lower crossbar and upright members having upper and lower endsrespectively connected to the upper and lower crossbars, the midpoint ofsaid upper crossbar being spaced from said upper end of andsubstantially in alignment with the longitudinal axis defined by saidsteering shaft, said upright members being oriented at an angle withrespect to the vertical which is selected from the range from 0 to 25,and

a steering crank means operatively connecting said steering shaft withsaid steering handle means for causing rotation of said steering shaftupon movement of said steering handle means.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said steering crank means comprisesa steering crank arm having one end thereof fixedly connected to saidsteering shaft at its upper end and the other end thereof fixedlyconnegted to said lower fr0ssbar member.

. The invention 0 claim 2 wherein said upper crossbar includes a centralsection substantially parallel to said lower crossbar, and side portionsangled downwardly from said central section with their outer endssecured to said upright members, said central section beingperpendicular to said longitudinal axis defined by said steering shaft.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said angle alpha is selected to beapproximately 10.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the upright members are each notless than approximately 4% inches in length.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said lower crossbar defines ahand-gripping section on each side of said steering crank means, saidhand-gripping sections being not less than approximately 4% inches inlength.

7. The invention of claim 3 wherein each of said side portions and saidcentral section are not less than approximately 4% inches in length.

8. The invention of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower crossbars andupright members define a planar surface.

1. In a vehicle having a rotatable steering shaft defining an upper endwhich is operatively connected to a steering control means which effectssteering of the vehicle, said steering control means comprising; asteering handle means including an upper crossbar, a lower crossbar andupright members having upper and lower ends respectively connected tothe upper and lower crossbars, the midpoint of said upper crossbar beingspaced from said upper end of and substantially in alignment with thelongitudinal axis defined by said steering shaft, said upright membersbeing oriented at an angle with respect to the vertical which isselected from the range from 0* to 25*, and a steering crank meansoperatively connecting said steering shaft with said steering handlemeans for causing rotation of said steering shaft upon movement of saidsteering handle means.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said steeringcrank means comprises a steering crank arm having one end thereoffixedly connected to said steering shaft at its upper end and the otherend thereof fixedly connected to said lower crossbar member.
 3. Theinvention of claim 2 wherein said upper crossbar includes a centralsection substantially parallel to said lower crossbar, and side portionsangled downwardly from said central section with their outer endssecured to said upright members, said central section beingperpendicular to said longitudinal axis defined by said steering shaft.4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said angle alpha is selected to beapproximately 10*.
 5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the uprightmembers are each not less than approximately 4 1/2 inches in length. 6.The invention of claim 1 wherein said lower crossbar defines ahand-gripping section on each side of said steering crank means, saidhand-gripping sections being not less than approximately 4 1/2 inches inlength.
 7. The invention of claim 3 wherein each of said side portionsand said central section are not less than approximately 4 1/2 inches inlength.
 8. The invention of claim 1 wherein said upper and lowercrossbars and upright members define a planar surface.